No, I expect them to take the money saved from the optical drive removal and put it towards something better like larger capacity SSD drives. I expect the entry model 15" MBP to use Intel HD 4000 graphics and have a 256GB SSD.

Also, if the upcoming MBPs arrive before Mountain Lion, I don't expect them to have retina displays.

Do you guys expect a price drop with the next gen Macbook with Retina displays?

A price drop, a small one anyways, might be possible. That even with Retina displays. It all depends upon what Intel charges chip wise to implement a machine. Retina displays may be possible, it is pretty clear that Apple has a significant lead here.

The cost of Retina screens to Apple is a mystery. Obviously they partner and influence vendors significantly so it is hard to tell what Apples costs are compared to a run of the mill buyer. When people say 2013 I'm not sure they are that far off, mountain lion is likely required but even here a minor lion update might be an interim solution. I just think retina quality screens are closer than many think and that Apple would get first shot at them.

The real question is this; does Apple really want to lower prices? Apple can tune parameters as required to meet a price point. Higher integration can also lead to lower costs,, but we must remember Apple doesn't compete on costs.

I too am surprised by the expected lack of retina displays. But can we expect any improvement in screen resolution?

It is either retina or bust in my opinion.

The problem is higher resolution without resolution independence is a big negative for many users. WYSIWYG disappears completely and in general UI elements become to small to be universally useful.

Quote:

I'd be grateful if those 'familiar with the matter' could provide some indication of the overall expected specifications across the 15" MacBook Pro line-up.

Thanks

By "familiar with the matter" do you mean insiders at Apple? You know that is very unlikely to happen. As to the MBP, the longer we have to wait for it the more likely we will see Retina screens. As to specs I don't know what to "expect" from Apple but I do know what I'd like to see.

I'd be grateful if those 'familiar with the matter' could provide some indication of the overall expected specifications across the 15" MacBook Pro line-up.

Thanks

Familiar is a very generous term there. These are rumors. Apple's supply chain management is pretty tight. I wouldn't expect a lot of guaranteed information. Now regarding it not being that likely, I could have told you that. They've been working their way up in size with these because phones and the ipad are extremely high volume items. If you look at the initial influx of lcd displays that slowly replaced crts, it started with laptops (as obviously you couldn't use a crt in a laptop), then you began seeing 13" consumer desktop displays, and the common sizes increased bit by bit from there with a few outliers at high price points. They have used cheaper panel designs in the macbooks up to this point, which is common among laptops. If they switched away from the TN panels, I'd expect this to be accompanied by a price increase. Also take note that a "high res" display is still an upgrade on current models. They charge extra for it. I think they'd pull the trigger if they could maintain price points within $100 or so of what they have now. Given their hefty margins, they do have some wiggle room for absorbing higher initial costs when they want to introduce something before the rest of the industry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizard69

By "familiar with the matter" do you mean insiders at Apple? You know that is very unlikely to happen. As to the MBP, the longer we have to wait for it the more likely we will see Retina screens. As to specs I don't know what to "expect" from Apple but I do know what I'd like to see.

Yes.. delays often mean testing, but I kind of doubt it this year. It's got a certain amount of hype going on Apple fan sites, but outside of that, I don't think it'll kill sales if they don't release retina everything.

What is interesting is seeing some of the deep discounts that expire on 4/27 around the net. I'm willing to bet that Apple has at least a couple of MBPs to go with Intels launch. Looks like we are down to a seven day wait.